Rock City’s Got Milk!
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Have a heart. Milk! Records Group Shot. Jen Cloher and Courtney Barnett, along with Fraser A. Gorman and others from the lovable local label. Pic: Nicole Cleary
Source: News Corp Australia
It’s 23 minutes before Courtney Barnett is due on stage in the Triple R Performance Space. She’s downing a beer at Lomond Hotel with Jen Cloher and Fraser A. Gorman, talking about Milk! Records and where it all went right.
Barnett started the label in 2012 to put out her I’ve Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris EP. Now they’re putting out a limited edition vinyl release compilation.
“We came up with an idea for a 10 inch compilation booked a weekend in Headgap Studio in Preston and told everyone they had three hours to record whatever they wanted and then we’d release it, instead of trying to record your single for radio, that shit can fly around your head. We tried to do something weird, it was a challenge” says Barnett.
Awkward Turtle question approaching.
Does Milk! Records feel like Cloher and Barnett’s baby?
“Yes and no,” Cloher muses. “I watched Courtney put music out and it was really cool. It’s a community of friends focused on making fun art projects together. In that group shot we had Joe Hammond who mixed the album, Celeste Potter who does all the artwork, everyone is involved.
“We stopped trying to be the idea of what a proper label is, releasing albums and following in very strict release campaigns, all that boring stuff and we just decided to start doing cool stuff.”
Have they held the 10 inch in their hands yet? “No, we haven’t held the 10 inch in our hands yet,” Cloher smirks. Much 10 inch innuendo ensues. They started it!
“I own a King Gizzard 10 inch,” Barnett says. Rarely do you see Our Courtney not wearing an Australian band T-shirt: Dick Diver, Smith Street Band, East Brunswick All Girls Choir, all have been worn on stages like Coachella and Prima Vera Sound.
“They’re a collector’s item, that’s what it’s about, something rare that’s come out of a time when a group of Melbourne musicians who enjoy playing together. As you can see we’re all friends, it’s not some cult,” Cloher assures with a wry smile. “It’s a bit cult-like,” Gorman interjects, the high hair High Priest.
“Major labels are dinosaurs. Milk! makes it own rules,” Gorman says, assertively. Word.
Little known fact: Barnett named it Milk! (replete with ebullient Wham! exclamation mark) as “kind of like a joke about how record labels milk you for everything you’re worth.” Those labels are stuck in the stone age.
Having so many bands involved should be hard but “I like it, I’m a good organiser. I get off on it,” Cloher says. “It’s true, you’re proactive,” Barnett says, turning to her soulmate. “I have ideas that I sit on for five years trying to perfect them and Jen’s like ‘Let’s f—king do it! (resolutely)’.”
“I’ve never known what I’m doing, we just wanna make fun stuff. Nick (O’Byrne, manager) and Jen make me look good,” she says, as Triple R’s smouldering librarian Lauren Taylor comes in with a clipboard and a firm “We need you now” look on her face. “I’ve gotta go!” Barnett says, then dashes off.
She later plays a freewheeling, match-fit set. All this touring has made Courtney Barnett and The Courtney Barnetts really sound like Courtney Barnett.
“As an artist you can feel so isolated and that’s what’s great about Milk! I can call Fraser up and say ‘I’m having a meltdown, should I play this show?’ He and everyone help me stay focused and we know you shouldn’t put everything into an album,” Cloher reasons.
“Albums are important as statements but it’s also important to keep moving and throw out a song every now and then,” she says, referencing her cathartic, butt-kicking “primordial punk rock” single with Tim Rogers, Stone Age Brain, which will appear on the 10 inch.
“It’s like having a family you can trust, a support network, not the lone poor muso who has a boss that takes all your money,” he says. Carpenter by day, Gorman lets it slip “I finished my album yesterday, I’m hitting my stride.” Too right you are, High Priest!
“Me and Court jumped on Fraser’s song to do vocals, it’s called Sugar Cane Motorcycle,” Cloher says. “I had a mate Will from Saskwatch play on it too and Michael Hubbard played guitar on it too, he’s from the Bluebottles.”
“Lâm Lâm on High St in Northcote is where we have our high powered business meetings, that’s where it all happens. Excellent pho,” Gorman says. Amen.
The 10 inch launch will feature Jen Cloher, Fraser A Gorman, Courtney Barnett & The Courtney Barnett’s, The Finks and Royston Vasie (matinee). Bring a manatee, maaaate.
Get a milk moustache here: soundcloud.com/milk-records-2
Northcote Social Club, 301 High St, Sun, 2-6pm. northcotesocialclub.com
Good Hart These Days
This week’s announcement that Prince has two albums coming out has overshadowed another development. His Purpleness has taken a shine to Melbourne multifarious funkateer Harts, real name Darren Hart.
Prince saw Harts’ videos on YouTube and invited him to Paisley Park.
Imagine getting that call.
“A lot of my time at Paisley was spent jamming with him and his bands NPG and 3RDEYEGIRL. One of the most interesting moments for me was Prince pulling everyone into the studio one day to listen to tracks from my new album, Daydreamer. They were diggin’ it,”
Harts says, still in shock.
“Before I left Paisley Park, Prince kind of encouraged and guided me toward the direction of me moving forward, I guess a second album. Right now I’m readying my debut album release which will be out early September and he’s gearing up to release his two new albums which will be out late September. What’s next is anybody’s guess,” he shrugs.
Daydreamer is out Sept 5. Latest single Lovers in Bloom is very Rogers Nelson.
Harts will be touring the record in Australia before heading back to the US to work with Nick Littlemore (Empire Of The Sun, Pnau) on a new upcoming project later in the year.
Shades Of Pale
On a grittier tip, Harmony’s Tom Lyngcoln has assembled an indie supergroup. “Today Thomy Sloane (Batpiss), Rhys O’Loughlin (ex Bang Bang Aids), Rui Pereira (ex-Drones) and myself walked into The Tote with four songs from two jams and recorded a full album of eight songs in one day that sounds completely killer,” he reports.
“We put down a total of 250 minutes of music. It’s called Pale Heads. It’s pretty fast and nasty but has these weird Oz rock default settings Radio Birdman, Angels, Coloured Balls, Sick Things…We’ve only had three rehearsals and we have all the basic tracking done for a full length. Just got to put down vocals. We wrote four songs during recording on Monday. I hate trying to sound any particular way and just letting the overarching social issues of the people involved dictate the sound. It’s simple chemistry!” Lyngcoln says.
They’ve started a Facebook page that is Lynchian and unsettling and will give you a fair idea of how the music will sound.
Vale Jay Curley
Tumbleweed bassist Jay Curley died “suddenly” on Monday. He’ll be fondly remembered. The band posted, “Rage is planning a Tumbleweed special for Jay this Saturday morning.”
Here is Jay’s song:
Sunbeam Superman
Sunbeam Sound Machine’s Wonderer LP drops in Nov. on Dot Dash /Remote Control.
New cut Real Life is streaming on Brooklyn Vegan and it’s cosmic, coterie.
Multi-instrumentalist Nick Sowersby makes the muzak from his garage in Collingwood (Collingwood massive in the how-ooooose) and Wonderer was produced by Stu MacKenzie of King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. Formidable pairing.
www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2014/08/sunbeam_sound_m.html
facebook.com/sunbeamsoundmachine
Must See Three
1 CLIENT LIAISON
Swipe the company card, put on the pastel‘n’pleats, prepare yourself for some True Blue Eyed Soul© Client Liaison are finally dropping their self-titled EP, just as Queen (see below, get down low and go go go) starts getting some traction on radio and raaaaage. Supports from Picture magazine pin-ups Andras Fox & Albert Salt.
170 Russell St, city, Fri, 8.30pm, $ 20, ticketscout.com.au
2 FISHING & DARCY BAYLIS
Sydney rave throwback duo Fishing are a helluva lot of fun. They didn’t have much time or money to film a video for cool jam Nineteen/Boy Wonder so they invited a bunch of their friends around, took their tops off, cranked it up and filmed it. Sounds like you?
Shebeen, City, Sat, 8.30pm, $ 12, ticketscout.com.au
3 UNLEASHED FESTIVAL: ALLDAY & REMI
Kids, you can’t learn everything from your Facebook feed. If that sounded condescending well GOOD, get fired up and head to Unleashed this weekend. On Saturday: Allday, REMi, Safia & more. Sunday: Be part of the Summit: Trailblazers, Inspiring Minds, Changemaker’s Toolkit and Start-up Studio.
Royal Exhibition Buildings, Sat-Sun, 9am-onwards. unleashedfestival.com
Going at a Clip – 9 Music Videos Under The Mikeyscope
Hammered – Richard In Your Mind
Best bit: The return of Richard In Your Mind!! The Beckolytes (Beck acolytes) are back with sitars and sunshine in their pockets. Cartwright is nicknamed Richard In Your Pocket by Mrs Rock City because he’s so teeny and malleable. Panpipes at 31 second mark.
That’s a bit much isn’t it: Spod at 1.21. Bit much? No way we want more.
Earworm: “Me and my baby get hammered in the daytime.”
Old Age – East
Best bit: Backwards dancing, Madchester waltzing like it’s 1989. The lens filter is Instagrammatically correct too.
That’s a bit much isn’t it: She wants to cark it? But East you’re only just breaking through. Don’t go all Lana Del Rey I interviews, ya hear?
Earworm: “I’d die of old aaaaaa-yyy-eeege If. I. Could.”
Queen – Client Liaison
Best bit: The nod to Womack and Womack’s Teardrops clip. The Hall and Oates shoulder-dancing. The pre-Tinder date and the totes awks jump into the air at 1.28.
That’s a bit much isn’t it: None of it is too much. That’s the point of Client Liaison. This is a stupid category. Who writes this stuff?
Earworm: “When I was queen I’d worship me, I’d do anything and everything to be beyond human.”
Summer Suckers – Wax Witches
Best bit: They’re having a good time, they’re having a ball, if you wanna have a good time, JUST GIVE THEM A CALL!
That’s a bit much isn’t it: Wearing a hirsute suit when they’re wearing nothing at all. The droopy man-bibs (NB: bibs not boobs) at 1.37 will stay with you like the ending of the 2012 film Amour.
Earworm: “Take off your shirt ‘cause no-one cares.”
Go feat. Blood Diamond - Grimes
Best bit: Everything before it “kicks in” with Diplo-lite, major lazy drub-step. C’mon Boucher, the only good thing about the peak of Go is the distant Ace of Base sample. And Blood Diamond, what have you done for she lately? FART REMIX NEEDED.
That’s a bit much isn’t it: This whole clip is over-thought and overwrought. The only really interesting stuff happens after 3.01 when she gets Dirrty in Mt. Splashmore
Earworm: “When I go can I go with yooooouuuuuuuuuuu-oooo-ooooh”
On 1 – Ricky and Mark
Best bit: The Streets-meets-Dan-le-Sac-and-Scroobius-Pip beat is immediately engaging. The line “In Seattle we don’t see a lot of palm trees just a bunch of white people and a lot of bomb weed.” Cool jam.
That’s a bit much isn’t it: Wack mum-jokes are a bit out of date and not as caustic as they think.
Earworm: The whirring synth. “Just enough to be up and go get drunk on weekends.”
Chase The Eclipse – Wagons
Best bit: Si the Philanthropist’s Claymation skills. Never knew he had it in him. It’s part Mighty Boosh, part Tool, part-y. The tree-mendous transformation at 1.47.
That’s a bit much isn’t it: The Mulligrubs face-melt at 2.07.
Earworm: The dramatic rag time piano at 2.48.
Green Lady – Merchandise
Best bit: Thinking about Edward Scissorhands. This is Hothouse Dours.
That’s a bit much isn’t it: These guys are a bit blah. Leave Britney alone!
Earworm: “Oooh yerrrrrrr” More of an ear-squirm.
XTC Party – REMi
Best bit: How quickly you get thinking about FKA Twigs’ Water Me clip. Great track, smooth, gently-slammin’ beat from Sensible J and Dutch. REMi looks like he’s going method (not meth, chill) at 2.58.
That’s a bit much isn’t it: The lyrics don’t shy away from the gurning elephant in the room. “Washing down MD rocks with Scotch shots, both as bad as each other we cannot judge.”
Earworm: “We’re f—king stupid for doing it but whatever.”
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